‘Vampire Survivors’ Meets Windows 98? Played Out on Your Desktop? Yep

If you’re like me, then you already adore Vampire Survivors. And you also love retro computing. Seriously, I’ve binged LGR’s YouTube videos for well over a decade now, lying in bed while taking in all of his takes on retro hardware, classic video games, and extremely bizarre peripherals of yore. So, naturally, when I heard about Desktop Survivors 98, combining Vampire Survivors with a retro Windows aesthetic, I simply had to give it a look.

But this game? It’s no ordinary take on the “Survivors” genre. It’s a desktop-based experience that will keep you crawling back for more as you work, check your mail, or hang out on Discord VC.

‘Desktop Survivors 98’ is perfect for those boring Google Meetings

Desktop Survivors 98 is a “chaotic roguelite dungeon crawler that unfolds right on your Desktop,” as indie creator Brandon Hesslau writes on the game’s Steam page. Traverse an enormous dungeon, dodging and killing waves of enemies while firing auto-attack weaponry. The twist? The game literally happens right over your entire desktop, complete with a Windows 98-style taskbar you can interact with on the bottom. Instead of piloting a character, you pilot your mouse cursor, which is the source of all your attacks. You can still interact with your computer while you play, which is objectively hilarious. While preparing screenshots for this article, I was literally fighting enemies while saving images in GIMP.

Oh, and if you want to play on your Steam Deck? Don’t worry. There’s a mode for that, too.

Desktop Survivors 98 is just $4.99, and I highly recommend picking it up. Unlike many other games inspired by Vampire Survivors, Hesslau does something legitimately novel and clever with the genre’s approach. Also, it’s just a very funny way to kill time while muted in meetings. Yes, in meetings: You can hide and show the game at any time, allowing you to keep exploring your run’s dungeon while your boss yaps away about sales reports and restructuring.

Grab Desktop Survivors 98 now on Steam, or try the free demo to get a taste. Don’t forget to check your map on the bottom, which looks exactly like an old-school Minesweeper window. Just another love letter to classic computing hidden in this game.